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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Hospital waiting times 'likely to get worse', health board chief says | Hospital waiting times 'likely to get worse', health board chief says |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The head of the Health and Social Care Board has said that patient waiting times for surgery are "likely to get worse" in the coming year. | The head of the Health and Social Care Board has said that patient waiting times for surgery are "likely to get worse" in the coming year. |
| BBC News NI revealed on Wednesday that the number of patients waiting for appointments at Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast had risen by 75%. | BBC News NI revealed on Wednesday that the number of patients waiting for appointments at Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast had risen by 75%. |
| Some patients have had to wait up to 74 weeks to see a specialist. | Some patients have had to wait up to 74 weeks to see a specialist. |
| Valerie Watts apologised to patients who have waited an "inordinate amount of time" for surgery. | Valerie Watts apologised to patients who have waited an "inordinate amount of time" for surgery. |
| "It is both regrettable and it was also disturbing for me to hear about those [waiting times]," she said. | "It is both regrettable and it was also disturbing for me to hear about those [waiting times]," she said. |
| "I am not proud to hear some of these stories, as CEO presiding over the Health and Social Care Board, to hear about these waiting times." | "I am not proud to hear some of these stories, as CEO presiding over the Health and Social Care Board, to hear about these waiting times." |
| Breaches | |
| But she told BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show that waiting times were likely to get worse "because of the budget". | |
| "We must understand that we have a finite budget within which we are working with this year," she said. | "We must understand that we have a finite budget within which we are working with this year," she said. |
| "We are predicting that those waiting times will stretch out - some of them will be significantly [worse]." | "We are predicting that those waiting times will stretch out - some of them will be significantly [worse]." |
| Documents leaked to the BBC also showed that up to this month, there had been 11,846 breaches of the 18-week waiting list target for a specialist appointment. | Documents leaked to the BBC also showed that up to this month, there had been 11,846 breaches of the 18-week waiting list target for a specialist appointment. |
| Ms Watts blamed the growth in waiting lists on "unprecedented period of demand" for health and social care services in Northern Ireland. | Ms Watts blamed the growth in waiting lists on "unprecedented period of demand" for health and social care services in Northern Ireland. |
| Squabble | |
| She said there was not enough money being made available from Stormont to provide healthcare, and the board had asked to be given an additional £89m. | |
| But there has been no indication yet as to whether that money will materialise. | |
| The former medical director of the Western Health Trust called on politicians to prioritise funding for the health service to tackle the increase in waiting lists. | |
| Dr Alan McKinney said politicians "can't continue to squabble and fight about things and not make progress" on a making a decision about health funding. | |
| "Folk in Stormont and their advisors have big salaries, they have a job that needs to be done and I would like to see them get on and do that," he added. |